Expandable and rotatable luggage

Abstract

A piece of luggage is provided. A main body and an expandable body of the luggage are connected to each other by a collapsible portion. The luggage has a cover pivotably connected to the expandable body. A first half of a zipper is fixed to the expandable body and a second half of the zipper is fixed to the cover. The engagement of the first half and the second half closes the cover to the expandable body, and thus a substantially enclosed space is defined by the main body, the expandable body and the cover. The luggage also has multiple rotational wheels mounted to the main body and/or the expandable body. The luggage stands on the rotational wheels and is rotatable with respect to one or more predetermined axes through these wheels.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A piece of luggage comprising:
 a main body; 
 an expandable body that is compressible to take up unused space within the main body, the expandable body comprising a collapsible portion, the expandable body being connected to the main body through the collapsible portion; 
 a cover pivotably connected to the expandable body; 
 a plurality of rotational wheels mounted to at least one of the main body and the expandable body, wherein the luggage stands on the plurality of rotational wheels and is rotatable with respect to one or more predetermined axes through the plurality of rotational wheels; and 
 an expansion and locking device configured to allow free movement of the expandable body in a compression direction towards the main body and allow locking movement of the expandable body in an expanding direction away from the main body, wherein the expansion and locking device comprises: 
 a sliding assembly having a set of parallel teeth, the sliding assembly affixed to one of the body and the expandable body; and 
 a holding assembly main body affixed to the other of the main body and the expandable body and affixed in line with the sliding member, 
 wherein the holding assembly main body comprises: 
 a receiving pocket into which the sliding assembly is insertable,
 wherein the receiving pocket is defined by: a proximal wall affixed to said one of the main body and the expandable body; a distal wall substantially parallel to the proximal wall; and a pair of side walls connecting the proximal wall and the distal wall; and 
 wherein an opening is defined through the distal wall of the receiving pocket, and 
 
 a latch structure pivotably coupled to the distal wall of the receiving pocket by a biasing member, the latch structure having disposed on its underside a pawl, the latch structure having a planar surface, 
 wherein the latch structure comprises a first configuration in which the latch structure is biased by the biasing member; and when the latch structure is in the first configuration, the latch structure is disposed in the opening of the distal wall, the sliding assembly is inserted into the receiving pocket to allow engagement between the pawl and the set of parallel teeth through the opening of the distal wall, and the planar surface of the latch structure is substantially parallel to the distal wall of the receiving pocket; and 
 wherein the latch structure comprises a second configuration in which the latch structure is pivoted by a force that is substantially perpendicular to the planar surface of the latch structure against the biasing member; and when the latch structure is in the second configuration, the pawl is pivoted away from the set of parallel teeth to release the engagement between the pawl and the set of parallel teeth, and the planar surface of the latch structure is angular with respect to the distal wall of the receiving pocket. 
 
     
     
       2. The luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotational wheels comprises a first pair of rotational wheels mounted to the main body and a second pair of rotational wheels mounted to the expandable body. 
     
     
       3. The luggage according to  claim 2 , wherein the main body comprises: a pair of bottom brackets, to which the first pair of rotational wheels are mounted, respectively; and the expandable body comprises a pair of bottom corner receivers, to which the second pair of rotational wheels are mounted, respectively. 
     
     
       4. The luggage according to  claim 3 , wherein the first pair of rotational wheels each includes a plate adapted to conform to the shape of an external bottom surface of a respective bottom bracket, such that the first pair of rotational wheels can be snuggly connected to the bottom brackets, respectively. 
     
     
       5. The luggage according to  claim 3 , wherein the second pair of rotational wheels each includes an L-shaped plate adapted to conform to the shape of an external bottom surface of a respective bottom corner receiver, such that the second pair of rotational wheels can be snuggly connected to the bottom corner receiver, respectively. 
     
     
       6. The luggage according to  claim 1 , further comprising an extendable handle. 
     
     
       7. The luggage according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a side handle and a top handle. 
     
     
       8. The luggage according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one corner or edge guard mounted to the main body or the expandable body.